


❖ RedSpice

by Kamishawe



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Deception, Flame Animals, Furious - Freeform, Gen, Near Death Experiences, Nobody is Dead, Onions have layers!, Threats of Violence, Women In Power
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-05-14 02:30:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,046
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14760896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamishawe/pseuds/Kamishawe
Summary: Lal Mirch’s POV





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [history](https://archiveofourown.org/users/history/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Carry On](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13951896) by [Akua](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akua/pseuds/Akua). 



#### RedSpice  
_Paprika_  
_Hell hath no fury like a woman_  
  
~ ☙ ❀ ❧ ~

 

"You... Sit down... Shut up! Not a word out of your fucking mouth!"

"Lal-" A thunderous crack of a gun sounded. She was there in Reborn's lap, in his face and noses touching. A gun under the man's chin forcing his head up to meet her cold dead eyes. There was a hole in the back of the chair, a millimeter from the Sun's bleeding ear.

Lal Mirch was done.

"Try me, _bhosadike._ " Lal's steel barbed hiss sent shivers through the room. "You've recovered from having your brains blown before. A pleasant perk for a Sun of your renown skill. Even covered in viscous, I will enjoy watching every second of your recovery.

It was the second day of this bullshit meeting and they'd accomplished nothing. Her involvement had been minimal so far, and that wasn't good enough. As former military she never left a fellow comrade behind to suffer. She might not have really known Skull or even cared; that didn't stop him from being one of their group. One of _Hers_.

"You are the reason he's a flight risk. If it's conductive to this meeting, you will raise your hand like a good little boy and not make a sound... That goes for all of you." 

It's satisfying to use the man's own tricks. She slowly slinked out of Reborn's lap to drape herself over the back of his shoulders, gun still drawn to keep his head up and eyes locked on her. She had the Arcobaleno to wrangle and a room full of guests to address after all.

"I'd like to humbly apologize for the unseemly display of Acrobaleno hospitality over the last couple days. If you could graciously consent to stay, better accommodations will be provided. We've taken much of your valuable time; however, we do believe your knowledge is paramount to the situation at hand."

She'd even given them her best pearly smile. Hundreds of men had fainted at the sight of it. 

They'd stooped to an all-time low having to call on these people. However, the Carcassa Famiglia and the Simon Famiglia had one thing the Arcobaleno didn't -ample and amiable time with Skull. If anyone could find the cloud or predict Skull's thought process, it was these people.

"It's alright." The Carcassa's regent was an unknown young lady in a lab coat. A meeker version of Verde, with lavender hair, surrounded by a rag-tag of vagabonds.

"What could we provide the _I prescelti settle_ that they don't already know themselves?" Enma Kozato, the Earth Decimo of the Simon Family, gave her a condescending smile. Twisting the preverbal knife deeper. Now the verbal sparring could truly begin.

"I agree. The Carcassa Family cannot help you. As his fellow guardians, you know more than us."

"We disagree. He showed for battles, then immediately left when things were over. Skull was never around--"

"--his own gaurdians? Color me surprised. A single stranger was his only ally at the Rainbow Representative Battle and that was the only time we spent together. Where was the Carcassa Family?" When did Kozato become a shark? The pointed glance at the unease and nervous air of the Carcass blatant. Their faces were poorly masking their thoughts. Their regent gave the room a delicate cough.

"Despite popular opinion, the Carcassa Famiglia is not Skull's to call home."

The room filled with quiet murmuring as the Carcassa exchanged looks and panicked glances. They had a secret. One the rest of the room probably wasn't going to like. Nudging Reborn's head to the side, she put a hole in the ceiling to shut them up.

"Start talking."

"The Carcassa Family isn't Mafia."

 _What?_

"It's a science facility with one goal. Run the Fuoco Familiare Program. We didn't intend to create Flame Animals, didn't even know what they were. The Vindicare gave us a visit. We didn't care for any of the mafia's dealings but realistically realized the facility could not go unprotected after our discovery. Because of the nature of the animals we have no Flame Actives in our Famgilia."

" ** _Quiet._** " The mutters had returned and louder. The Carcassa looked resigned at her hiss; like they'd just signed their death warrants. She didn't blame them. The Vindicare had allowed this farce. "Reborn."

"Skull and your enforcers?"

"We apologized to Skull. He was not an intended front or member of our group. He came to us for a familiar but could never flame-bond with any of them; not even Oodako, the octopus. We don't know why but it resulted in rumors after he started spending time with the animals. The income from the familiars allowed enough paid mafia-outcasts to enforce the illusion of being more. They were not in on the secret and truly believed the image of Carcassa."

Verde - "The drugs, prostitution, and trafficking? The Vindice should have incarcerated you years ago."

"No one bothered us if we were the lowest of the mafias underbelly. No one looked deeper. No one asked for things of us because there were no expectations."

Colonello - "Wait… It was all rumor?"

"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't. We hadn't broken any laws after all. The Vindice thought it was hilarious."

Colonello - "We were hoodwinked?"

The young lady scientist gave the room an awkward shoulder shrug, and a decrypted smile. The flash of razor teeth was all for Colonello.

"The enforcers acted as our liaisons. They outsourced the weakest of the mafia to spin tales. Flame actives that had no true talent; therefore, no future. People we couldn't give a home too, but we could still help make ends meet. So, yes, the Mafia World was suckered in by a bunch of brains and small fry."

Someone needed to take charge of these meetings, but why the hell was _she_ the spokesman of this shit storm?

Did these people even _know_ anything about Skull?


	2. Chapter 2

#### RedSpice  
_Chili Pepper_  
_Deception is accepting nothing is as it seems_  
  
~ ☙ ❀ ❧ ~

 

Did these people even know anything about Skull?

"The drugs weren't a lie. Skull's medical file can attest."

"An unfortunate misunderstanding, Mrs. Red. You really _don't_ know anything about your cloud, do you." For the first time the young woman truly bristled and grew a backbone. "He was mind wiped. The mind may have forgotten but the heart remembers."

Lal saw the lightbulb go off and the thunder flash across the faces of Verde, Colonello, and Reborn. They needed this show on the road, not stalling at the start gate by revelations. Viper was eyeing the Carcassa doubtfully. He'd probably seen their books.

"The vi--"

"-- ** _Shut it, Verde..._** "

"You mention no home and limited finance."

"What are you implying!?" Kozato looked appalled.

"Mr. Snake is not wrong. We can't afford it. We have no base of operations. All meetings are by phone or incognito. With the facility a secret, the farce of having no home is very real. _No one_ has room and board with us."

By the end of her speech there was a delicate glare on her face as she slowly stood up and strolled to the center of the room. It was like watching a fuzzy kitten trying to be threatening, adorable. 

"Skull visits us for three reasons: the animals, when you send him to us injured, and when he's calling on Arcobaleno business. When Skull stays the night at the Fuoco Familiare, it's to sleep with the animals in the larger holding cells. He's lucky the animals demand it, it's far better than the condemned buildings or sewers systems where some of our lie-spinners live."

" ** _But your books_** -" Now Lal just feeling pissy at the lavender haired chit.

"-are cooked? Yes. Let's cut the bull, the Carcassa Family has work to do. Shall I just put everything bluntly?"

The lady nodded to herself, giving a delicate tug on a bottle cap earring to compose herself and started talking to the room regardless of Lal's opinion.

"He owns four things: the bike, the cloths he wears, his bag of things, and Oodako. He has no home that we know of. There's no financial income or bank accounts. Since we've known him, he's had no actual job. During his rainbow curse, he's had nothing that didn't include the Arcobaleno and you made him do that for free. You don't pay for the trouble you cause him. When the curse was broken, he still traveled from place to place like a lost demented butterfly. He has no family, no friends, and a handful of acquaintances. " 

"Since you've known him? You knew him before the curse? When he was a civilian."

Was it possible? The answer to Skull's past _here_ all along? The war in the regent's head was reflected on her face for everyone to see. Tell them or keep Skull's trust.

"I want that file."

A smile stole across Lal's face as the young woman gained new bounce in her heel. The Regent had chosen to kept Skull's trust with minimal loss to herself. Lal Mirch could see it plain as day.

"Doesn't exist, Lady Lal, don't bother yourself! Patient confidentiality exists for licensed practitioners and the recordings are promptly fed to our lava salamanders after memorizing the data. We learned well from the mafia to never keep a record. Call us when he needs a friendly face. Ask for Selena Lovegood."

With the contact card given, Mrs. Lovegood promptly turned around with a beaming grin and started signaling her group to leave. The vagabonds started to picking stuff up and raiding the concession table.

"Would you like to know how to get his attention, Mr. Wind?"

"Castles?

"You're in the wrong country of castles, Master Dragon. Animals and Stunt Rallies. I'm sure you'll eventually think of a place with both."

Mrs. Lovegood quirkily twirled and twisted around her people to herd them to the exit before she paused at the door herself. A contemplative look on her face. Lal was suddenly very aware of how misty and cloudy Mrs. Lovegoods eyes were. It was Luce all over again

"You know, you were quite right Mrs. Mirch... You are the reason he's a flight risk. Heaven knows, you haven't fucked him over enough to send him our way, yet." 

The door softly clicked closed. 

"Are you going to keep that number?" Shy interest peeked through red eyes.

Lal put a hole in Kozato's chair too.

 

###### Notes

**_The mind may have forgotten but the heart remembers. -- >_** Kudos to _arcticapple_ who said it. 


	3. Chapter 3

#### RedSpice  
_Saffron_  
_The best lie in the world is the truth_  
  
~ ☙ ❀ ❧ ~

 

Leaning over a balcony, Lal chewed on her thumb nail as she watched the love birds down below. Something wasn't right with this picture. 

It's been weeks since they'd first met the slightly ditsy Mrs. Lovegood. Her story checked out. Reborn, Viper and Verde had combed over every scrap of information from that meeting. They'd looked underneath the facade, now that they knew to look. It was all true, yet something was out of place. It didn't sit right with her. 

Fon had organized and baited the stunt rally. They'd gotten lucky with Reborn's drunk call. Fon had planted the idea of Reborn's circus. They'd watched Skull die and resurrect himself. They'd herded him out of that filthy hole in the wall he'd been hiding in and towards the circus. The hunt for Harry was dead in the water. They had four names and no leads. They'd ev—

"What's eating you? Other than yourself. That's a filthy habit."

Shamal earned the ugly sneer she shot him. He'd slapped her hand away from her mouth. Nail chewing was _her_ meditative pose, thank you very much. It was better than his flighty perversion. If Skull was a demented butterfly; Shamal was the hummingbird.

Another vagabond scurried across the hotel café to whisper in Lovegood's onion clad ear. Then, just as unobtrusively, scurried away and out of sight. It was an endless cycle on repeat. Instead of a phone call or a text message, an actual person visited the girl to deliver news or receive instructions. It happened so often, no one blinked an eye at the presence of her groups' activities. Verde was the only other one to notice. The lack of personal technological effects was causing mini sparks to sprout from his fingers.

"That! That is what's wrong. Name a person you know that doesn't own a cell phone, especially a person in a leadership role."

On top of the nagging gut gnawing thing she couldn't figure out, Skull had been running around the circus and everyone not in Skull's direct line of sight was having kittens. His magical slight of hand were baffling and awe inspiring in equal measure. However, no one could figure out what the fuck was wrong with him. Skull was worse than ever!

It was sickening to watch. There were memory lapses, age jumps, knowledge lost and gained randomly. The Heat-Flashes were deadly and the cause unknown. Sometimes, Skull followed Fon like a duckling after it's mommy. Others, he avoided Fon like the plaque. Sporadically, he'd call Reborn and forget he was even on the phone. The first time it happened Reborn went nuts. For once, Colonello was taking a beating from Skull's magic fingers and she was mostly a random stranger.

By now, everyone had an up front and personal experience to share about Skull being at death's door. Lal had one herself. She'd been right next to him on the sidewalk in one of his _—doesn't remember her at all—_ episodes. His face had blanked mid-sentence, and then spasm and slackened like a stroke victim. He'd bodily jerked to a stop right in the middle of the road. A car smeared him across the pavement a second later. 

Skull was a walking disaster. There wasn't a single person who was walking away from this untouched and without nightmares. 

Mrs. Lovegood, though, was all smiles and cheer. In fact, Lal couldn't see a trace of worry in Lovegood's demeanor at all. It was all kinds of wrong. She couldn't be older than 18 and according to Kozato, knew Skull her entire life. People with lifelong memories like that? They worry. She wasn't.

Lal just continued to watch what she could from her vantage point. Shamal just as silent and watchful for once. She could feel an epiphany approaching. Something was going to click into place the longer she looked. Even when Lovegood smiled coyly, she made her goodbyes to the shy and giddy Earth Don. It was there in her actions when Lovegood leaned over and kissed his cheek. The young man's face and ears turned red like his hair. How odd. He was shy but not the blushing virgin type. He was taking full advantage of the circus to court the lady's favor.

Oh. **Oh!**

"Hm? Say something, Lal?"

Shamal was sidelining her with his eyes. 

"Just now, Kozato scored a kiss from Mrs. Lovegood. That's what you saw. I didn't see a kiss… I saw her whispering naughty things in his ear!"

This was it! The dawn of realization.

"The truth is supported by facts and colored by perception."

"So, if the facts are right…"

She finished for him.

"What's wrong with our perception?"

_Because the best lies —were true._

 

###### Notes

OMG! I want to shake Lal and scream like _Shrek_ , "Onions have layers!"

 


	4. Chapter 4

#### RedSpice  
_Sumac_  
_Beware of sharpies and other chaotic incarnates_  
  
~ ☙ ❀ ❧ ~

 

Four Sky Dons and Lal Mirch poked their heads through a crack in the doorway to cautiously look at the disaster inside the conference room. It was a catastrophe. Someone let loose five toddlers with office supplies. Ugh —that was probably her. What happened twelve hours ago was a little fuzzy.

Verde was passed out right in front of the door… on a tower of desks and chairs that defied the laws of Jenga. There was neon green writing all over the ceiling. Dino could make out formulas and theorems based off bio engineering and chemical tolerances. On the tops of desks in the rickety tower were lines of code and data Verde had collected with circles and lines looping around facts about Skull. 

Xanxus followed the indigo lines intermixed with Verde's leading away from the tower to piles of Indigo sticky notes all over the floor and walls. There was every color of the rainbow sticky in sight. Viper was somehow dangling from the ceiling fan and drooling on everything below as the fan spun in slow, lazy circles.

Tsuna could spot Reborn using Verde's crocodile as a pillow with Leon acting as an umbrella in the center of the room. There was a gold and silver sharpie in each hand and everyone covered in metallic squiggles. Under him were print outs and news articles equally dispersed around the room. Some even taped to fellow Arcobelano. 

Fon was the funniest and Byakuran had to turn away to keep from snickering. Fon was completely tangled in string. No one was sure if it was a hog-tie, a rendition of "The Mummy", or just an unfortunate neko-Fon in the corner. Leading away from Fon, the red string crisscrossing the room in a daunting spider web of networks and connections.

Lal found Colonello barricaded behind the last remaining desk, tucked in a different corner. The last safe haven in a sea of chaos. His sleep looked like a lost and desperate soul looking for the last vestige of sanity. Under the bottom of his desk was blue writing of possible meditative and emotional solutions to mental disorders.

After her revelation, Lal had locked them in here to figure out the Skull and Carcassa problem from a different perspective… Maybe she shouldn't have done that...

"Guys, you literally suck at this whole caring thing. It's pretty epic."  
_Ouch, Tsuna, no need to go for the heart._

"Seriously, just hug the poor cloud already."  
_That is SO not happening, Dino._

"Cuddles are very manly."  
_Lal just gapped as Xanxus nod sagely along._

"Even honorable when a family member is in need."  
_This wasn't happening, she was going to ignore Byakuran and pass out now._

"Think they'll remember this?"

...

"pfft!  
"nah!"  
"yeah right!"

 

###### Notes

 _"Guys, you literally suck at this whole caring thing."_ \- Curtesy of _Foxtron_. I needed the laugh. ^_^

 


End file.
